Susan Magara cried out to her family for help- witness tells court

A digital forensic examiner on Monday told court in Kampala that slain Bwendero Dairy cashier, Susan Magara cried out to her family to pay her kidnappers ransom in order to regain her freedom.

Mr Enoch Kanene, a certified digital forensic examiner attached to the Directorate forensic service under the department of Cyber Crimes Unit of the Uganda Police told court that he examined the exhibits that were presented to him and found a video of a lady crying and pleading with her parents to do what was required for her to regain her freedom without involving the police.

“The exhibits received on February 21, 2018 which was a memory card of 1GB contained two images and a video that was captured and created on February 19, 2018 and the individual on the memory card was a lady crying for help from the parents to do what was required for her to be free without involving the police to whom she said that they would not do anything,” Mr Kanene who appeared in court as one of the prosecution witnesses said.

He added: “….. and to what appeared on her left hand was a white bandage and where it was tied was shorter than other nails. A male voice was heard indicating that the lady was speaking under instructions while being recorded and a man's shadow was seen gesturing to her to stop.”
Mr Kanene who’s the 18th state witness was testifying in a case in which nine people are accused of killing Magara in February 2018.

According to Mr Kinene, the Digital Department deals mostly in cybercrimes and computer where they provide services which are technical to investigations, crime intelligence in general, help the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the Judiciary at large in retrieving digital evidence using international accredited devices.
The witness also told court presided over by Justice Alex Ajiji that a memory card, three consent letters of Mr John Magara, Floral Magara and Immaculate Kabajulizi were among the exhibits he received, giving police permission to retrieve information from their three telephones for the two days the suspects had contacted them about their daughter.

He said that the audio files were retrieved from the three mobile telephones showing call conversations between unknown numbers and one that was saved as kidnappers on Mr John Magara’s phone. According to him, one voice called on all the three family members’s phones on February 11 and February 19, 2018.
Mr Kanene tendered in court a memory card with two images comprising of soldiers appearing like they are in a war zone and that of the deceased.
Cpl Shamira Barasa, an army officer attached to the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) under tracking unit but currently deployed in Somalia testified that she was among the officers who arrested one of the suspects, Hajara Nakandi. Cpl Barasa who was the 17th state witness told court that the suspect didn’t resist arrest.

Nine people, including Yususf Lubega, Hussein Wasswa, Muzamiru Ssali, Nakandi, Abubaker Kyewolwa, Mahad Kisalita, Hassan Kato Miiro, Ismail Bukenya and Musa Abbas Buvumbo are undergoing trial for the 2018 kidnap and murder of Magara, a former cashier with Bwendero Dairy Farm (BDF).

Prosecution case
The prosecution states that the suspects on remand and others still at large on February 7, 2018 kidnapped Magara with intent to procure a ransom or benefit from her liberation from the danger of being murdered.
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